Hydraulic control mechanism



@c m9 E'go( a 5. Mmmmm @frm 252953525? HYDRAULIC CONTROL MECHANISM'Filed may 15, 94o 2 sheets-sheet 1 K 3 'I v 4 E1 @1 ff f@ T/s 2f? lvr.96

3] bReserf/or'r Pam --f p C [IY Uno/er" .Bf Inval-Prana Edward J.Aldevmnn Dunuld F1 Whce Oct. 13, 1942. E; J. Molema/mI Erm. y 2,293,257

HYDRAULIC CONTROL MECHNISM med may 1s. 1940 2 sheets-snee; 2

,7' '1E- A5351.4. mllluymuu Patented Oct. 13, 1942 HYDRAULIC CONTROLMECHANISM Edward J. Alderman, East Moline, and Donald F. White, Moline,Ill.

Application May 15, '1940, serial No. 335,360

1 Claim.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370O. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manuiactured and usedby or forthe Government for governmental purposes, without the paymentto us of any royalty thereon. x

y'Ihis invention relates to hydraulic control mechanism.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a simple and eiicienthydraulic control mechanism which may be used, for example, in operatingthe steering mechanisms of a track-laying vehicle.

'I'he specific nature of the invention'as well as other objects andadvantages thereof will clearly appear from a. description of apreferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the improved mechanism takenon the line I-I of Fig.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the entire system;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views on the corresponding lines of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation;

Fig. 6`is a perspective view of the carriage;

Fig. 7 is a view in front elevation of the casingl with modifiedoperating levers.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 there is shownA a casing 5 havinga centralpartition 6 and end plates |-'I. A left rotor 8 and a right rotor 9 aremounted within the casing on opposite ,sides of the partition and eachincludes a shaft, respectively 8a and 9a, extending through thecorresponding end plate. segmental gears 8b and 9b respectively fixed tothe shafts 8a and 9a are in mesh with a gear Wheel. I0.

The gear wheel is supported on a carriage Il which has a tongue andgroove connection I2 with. an arcuate rail I3 xed on the casing byscrews I4 with itsouter end fixed to a bracket I5. The gear wheel isretained on the carriage by means of a bolt I6 which also mounts anoperating lever Il that is retained by a nut I8. The nut acting througha washer I9 may serve to maintain the gear wheel and the operating leverin driving relation. A spring 20 housed in the inner end of the bolturges a plunger against the rail where it is free to enter a recess 2I,Fig. 1 or a recess 22, Fig. 4.

The casing is provided with an inlet 23 for a line 24 leading from apump A which is adapted to circulate oil through the system about to bedescribed. The inlet 23 is in communication with a pair of passages25-25 in the partition. The lower part of the casing is provided with apair of outlet passages 26 and 2l which lead to a common outlet line 28connected to a cooler B. The casing is also provided with a pair ofoutlet passages 29 and 30 respectively connected by lines 3| 'and 32with an oil reservoir C.

The left rotor 8 has an axial passage 33 closed at its outer end andopen at'its inner end to the inlet passage 25. The passage 33communicates With a pair of angularly spaced radial passages 34 and 35which are disposed inthe plane of outlet passage 26 and also with aradial passage 36 disposed in the plane of outlet passage 29. 1

A passage 31 substantially parallel to passage 35 and in the same planeis disposed on a chord of the rotor and is adapted, in one position ofad justment of the rotor, to establish communication between outletpassage 29 and a passage 38 in the casing which leads to a line 39connected to a cylinder 40 of a unit that is to be controlled. This unitincludes a piston 4I fixed to a piston rod 42 and a spring 43 forreturning the piston after it has been displaced by oil from the lineThe parts from 33 to 43 inclusive are duplicated for the right rotor 9and are designated by the suffix a. As viewed in Fig. 2 the passages inboth the left and right rotors have identical positional relations.

The operation of the mechanism will be described in its relation to atracklaying vehicle in which steering is accomplished by holding orretarding one of the tracks while the opposite track continues to bedriven. When the vehicle is moving, on a straight course the parts ofthe mechanism are in neutral position as shown in Figs. 1 to 5 so thatthe oil circulated by the pump ows through the passages 34 and 34a ofthe left and right rotors, through the corresponding passages 26 and 2lin the casing, and then to the common line 28 leading to the cooler.

In order to turn right the piston 4Ia 0I the right controlled unit is tobe moved against the action of its spring to apply a brake to the powertransmission which drives the right track of the vehicle. This isaccomplished by turning the operating lever Il to the left and throughthe gear wheel Illy-rotating the gear segments 8b and 9b in oppositedirections to impart a clockwise movement to the left rotor 8 and acounter-clockwise movement to the right rotor 9, as viewed in Figs. 1, 3and 5. In this displacement, passage 34 of the left rotor moves to theleft in 2 and passage 34a of the right rotor moves to the right,

each movement interrupting communication wi th the line 28 to thecooler. The counters-*clockwise movement of the right rotor 9bringsp'assage 36o into communication with the line 38a whereby.

oil is conducted to the cylinder '40a to actuate the piston 4 la andapply the brake. In the clockwise movement of the left rotor thepassages 3l and 31 are displaced but periorm no function.

In order to turn left the operating leverv I1 is turnedto the right andproduces a corresponding but opposite movement oi' the rotors.

When the operating lever is restored to neutral position after havingbeen actuated'v to admitoil to a cylinder, the passage 31 willestablish. .com-

trolled unit, a pair of similar rotors one in each half of the casing,each rotor having an axial munication between the line 33 from thecylinder and the outlet 29 tothe oil reservoir and permit the instantrelease of pressure from the cylinder and the oil lines. Consequentlytherewill be a prompt response to the wlllot the operator .in resuming astraight course after making a turn.

When it is desired to apply both brakes simultaneously the lever I1 ismoved downwardlyfon an arc to -the position indicated in dotted lines inFig. 5. By virtue of the connection between thegear wheel and thesegments theA lett and ,Y right rotors will both be moved into positionto vadmit oil into the cylinders.

In order to lock both brakes the `lever l1' is depressed an additionalamount into engagement with the bracket I5. The passages 36 and 36a `oi'the rotors are now moved a suiilcient distance to interruptcommunication with the llines 39 and 39a and lock the pressure uid inthe cylinders. However passages 35 and 35a are now in communication withthe line 23 to permit free circulation of the remainder of the oil inthe system. 4

'A cut-oil' line M is;v preferably included between the inlet `23 andoutlet 28 and includes a.V conventional valve indicated at 45 which isazoaaov y n y InV the modiiication shown in Fig. 7 the controls 4B and41 for the left and right rotors are independently operated. A pressuregauge Il,

' provided in either instance, is shownherein.

We claim: In a control mechanism, a casing having a central iluid inletand having in each half a rst and second outlet and la thirdoutlet for aconpassage constantlyv in communication with the inlet, a pair of radialpassages in the same plane leading from the axial passage and adapted toselectively establish communication with therst outlet. a. singleIradial passage leading from the axial passage and adapted to establishcommunication with the' third outlet when the pair of radial passagesare out of communication with the first-outlet, a chordal passagein theplane of the single radial passage for establishing communicationbetween the third outlet and the second outlet when one of the pair ofradial pasopened when the hydraulic control is to' be inoperative andmanual control n v by the usual mechanisms (not shown).

is to be exercised l sages is in communication with the Vfirst outlet.the other of'said pair of radial passages being adapted to registerwithsaid iirst outlet when both said single radial passage and chordalpassage are out of register with the third outlet, a gear segment fixedon the outer side of each rotor, arcuate track means on said casing. agear wheel meshing with the gear segment of each rotor, attaching meansbetween the gear wheel and the arcuate track adapted to slide thereon,said gear wheel being rotatable on said attaching means, and indexingmeans between said at# taching means and said track.

EDWARD J. ALDERMAN.

